U.S. patent number 6,581,748 [Application Number 10/158,431] was granted by the patent office on 2003-06-24 for safety device for escalators or moving walkways.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Inventio AG. Invention is credited to Norbert Frim, Kurt Streibig.
United States Patent |
6,581,748 |
Streibig , et al. |
June 24, 2003 |
Safety device for escalators or moving walkways
Abstract
A deflector device prevents jamming of body parts and/or objects
between a step belt, which consists of individual steps, and a
balustrade pedestal of an escalator. A deflector profile member is
fixedly connected with the pedestal plate. The deflector profile
member has an opening which serves for the reception of a brush
body carrying a brush. A first lug of the deflector profile member
has a first projection and a second lug of the deflector profile
member has a recess. A snap hook and a second projection are
provided at the brush body, wherein the snap hook detents with the
first projection and the second projection detents with the
recess.
Inventors: |
Streibig; Kurt (Vienna,
AT), Frim; Norbert (Vienna, AT) |
Assignee: |
Inventio AG (Hergiswil,
CH)
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Family
ID: |
8183937 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/158,431 |
Filed: |
May 30, 2002 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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May 31, 2001 [EP] |
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01810527 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
198/323 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B66B
29/04 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B66B
29/00 (20060101); B66B 29/04 (20060101); B65G
015/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;198/321,323,326,333 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Other References
"Metro Using Brushes on Escalator Gap Problem". Stephen C. Fehr
Washington Post, Sep. 9, 1994..
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Primary Examiner: Bidwell; James R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Schweitzer Cornman Gross &
Bondell LLP
Claims
We claim:
1. A safety device for an escalator or moving walkway having a step
belt with steps or a plate belt with plates for the transport of
persons and/or articles and a balustrade which is mounted by means
of a balustrade pedestal, the safety device being in the form of a
deflector arranged at the balustrade pedestal to prevent the
jamming of body parts and/or objects between the step belt or plate
belt and balustrade pedestal, the safety device comprising a
deflector profile member rigidly affixed to the balustrade
pedestal, a brush unit supported by the profile member at a fixed
orientation, and snap connection means for releasably connecting
the brush unit to the profile member in the fixed orientation.
2. The safety device according to claim 1 wherein the deflector
profile member has an opening for receipt of a brush body which
carries a brush of the brush unit, the opening being bounded by
lugs.
3. The safety device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the
snap connection means comprise a first projection at a first lug
and a recess at a second lug of the profile member, and a snap hook
on the brush body which detents with the first projection and a
second projection on the brush body which is received in a
non-detenting manner by the recess at the second lug.
4. A safety device for an escalator or moving walkway having a step
belt with steps or a plate belt with plates for the transport of
persons and/or articles and a balustrade which is mounted by means
of a balustrade pedestal, the safety device being in the form of a
deflector arranged at the balustrade pedestal to prevent the
jamming of body parts and/or objects between the step belt or plate
belt and balustrade pedestal, the safety device comprising a
deflector profile member rigidly affixed to the balustrade
pedestal, first and second brush units supported by the profile
member at fixed orientations, and snap connection means for
feleasably connecting the brush units to the profile member in the
fixed orientations.
Description
The invention relates to an escalator or a moving walkway
consisting of a support, a step belt with steps or plate belt with
belts for the transport of persons and/or articles and a
balustrade, which is mounted by means of a balustrade pedestal,
with a handrail, wherein a deflector device arranged at the
balustrade pedestal prevents jamming of body parts and/or objects
between the step belt, which consists of individual steps, and the
balustrade pedestal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There has become known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,719 a safety device
which prevents jamming between an escalator step belt, which
consists of individual steps, and a pedestal plate. The safety
device, conceived as a deflector, consists of a support profile
member and brush elements. The support profile member, arranged at
the balustrade pedestal, has at the step side a profiled opening
into which the brush elements are insertable. A brush element
consists of a brush body which grips the brush. The brush body is
introduced at the front side (from the step side) into the profiled
opening of the support profile member. After mounting of the brush
element a wedge element is pushed from one end of the support
profile member between the upper wall of the support profile member
and the brush body, wherein the wedge element is firmly held by a
rib of the brush body.
This safety device requires that the wedge element be pushed in a
longitudinal direction into the support profile member for fixing
the brush element provided as a deflector. Depending on the
respective material strength of the support profile member and the
brush body, this task can be laborious and involved due to the
frictional forces to be overcome. When the deflector is contoured
to accommodate a (radiussing) transition from the inclined part to
the horizontal part of the escalator, additional frictional forces
have to be overcome when the wedge element is pushed in.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the
deficiencies of the prior art and is directed to a safety device
which can be mounted simply and quickly at the pedestal of the
escalator.
In accordance with the purpose, the invention is a deflector device
which comprises a profile member and a brush unit which is
connected to the profile member by a snap connection.
The advantages achieved by the invention are substantially to be
seen in that mounting of the brush unit is possible with little
effort. If an exchange of the brush units is necessary, the old
brush units can be removed by simple means and the new brush units
mounted on the existing support profile member by snapping in and
without use of tools. The need to divide the safety device into
straight course parts and curved parts is superfluous. By virtue of
the snap-in device according to the invention an endless deflector
can be realised which is independent of directional changes
predetermined by the course of the steps.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is explained in more detail in the following by
reference to drawings illustrating embodiments, in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of an escalator in which the
invention is employed;
FIG. 2 is a section view, taken along the line A--A of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a detail elevation view at location B in FIG. 2 of the
escalator showing the safety device according to the invention;
and
FIG. 4 is a detail elevation view at location B of the escalator
showing an alternative embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows an escalator 1 or a moving walkway which connects a
first story with a second story, the escalator having a step belt 4
consisting of steps 3 (the moving walkway consisting of plates). A
handrail 5 is arranged at a balustrade 6, which is mounted at its
lower end by means of a balustrade pedestal 7. The balustrade
pedestal 7 is carried by a support 8 of the escalator 1 or the
moving walkway. In the further course of description there is used,
instead of the term "escalator or moving walkway", merely
"escalator", but the embodiments apply in an analogous manner to a
moving walkway.
FIG. 2 shows a section along the line A--A of FIG. 1. The upper
riser part of the escalator 1 shows the forward run of the step
belt 4. The steps 3 with a visible riser or end part 9 and tread
surface 10 are upright and form a stairway. The lower part of the
escalator 1 shows the return run of the step belt 4, wherein the
tread surface 10 is directed downwardly. Step rollers arranged at
arms 11 are guided by means of first guides 13 arranged at the
support 8. Chain rollers 15 arranged on a step axle 14 are guided
by means of second guides 16 arranged at the support 8, wherein
each step axle 14 is connected with a drivable step chain 17. The
balustrade pedestal 7 has, at the step side, a pedestal plate 18
which is provided at its rear side with a reinforcement 19, for
example a U-shaped profile member. As a safety device there is
provided a deflector device 20 which prevents jamming of body parts
and/or objects between the edge of the step belt, which consists of
the individual steps 3, and the pedestal plate 18.
FIG. 3 shows the detail B of FIG. 2 with the deflector device 20
according to the invention, comprising of a deflector profile
member 21 and a brush unit 22. The deflector profile member 21 is
fixedly connected to the pedestal plate 18 by means of screws 23. A
screw receptacle 24 of the deflector profile member 21 receives the
head of the screw 23, wherein a cage nut 25 mounted to the pedestal
plate 18 grips the screw 23. Screws 23 and cage nuts 25 are
arranged along the step belt 4 at the pedestal plate 18 at specific
spacings. The deflector profile member 21 has an opening 26 which
serves for reception of a brush body 28 carrying a brush 27. A
first lug 29 of the deflector profile member 21 has a first
projection 30, and a second lug 31 of the deflector profile member
21 has a recess 32. A snap hook 33 and a second projection 34 are
provided on the brush body 28, wherein the snap hook 33 detents
with the first projection 30 and the second projection 34 detents
with the recess 32. The snap hook 33 and second projection 34 may
be formed continuously along the length of the brush body, or may
be formed as a series of individual elements.
The deflector profile member 21 can be formed, for example, as an
aluminium extrusion, and may be further formed into an endless
loop. The brush unit 22, can, in accordance with need, be cut to
length or mounted in a corresponding endless loop manner in the
profile member.
The brush body 28 is inserted in the opening 26 so that the second
projection 34 is received by the recess 32. The brush unit 22 is
then rotated in a counter-clockwise sense about the recess 32 as an
axis of rotation until the snap hook 33 detents with the first
projection 30. For removal of the brush unit 22 the snap hook 33 is
released from the first projection 30 by means of a tool and the
brush unit 22 is rotated out in the clockwise sense.
FIG. 4 shows detail B of FIG. 2 with a second embodiment of
deflector device 20 according to the invention, which comprises of
a deflector profile member 21 with two openings 26 arranged one
above the other, wherein the openings 26 are associated with each
other at a specific angle. One of the brush units 22 inserted into
one of the openings 26 is thereby oriented somewhat more steeply
than the other brush unit 22 inserted into the other opening. The
remaining construction of the deflector device 20 is comparable
with that of FIG. 3, wherein a portion of a first lug 29 for the
lower brush unit also serves as the second lug for the upper brush
unit.
* * * * *